Coating material supply device and method for optical fiber coating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber coating technology, and provides a coating material feeding device and method for an optical fiber coating device. The coating material feeding device for an optical fiber coating device includes a material tank and a discharge pipe; the material tank is used to contain the coating material, and the material tank is connected to the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe, and the liquid level of the coating material and the height of the discharge pipe are both lower than the height of the feed port. The coating material feeding device and method for an optical fiber coating device of the present invention connect the material tank with the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe, apply pressure to the inside of the material tank, so that the coating enters the optical fiber coating device, and after the coating is completed, the pressure in the material tank is adjusted to prevent the coating material in the discharge pipe from flowing back and prevent air from entering the discharge pipe. There is no need to perform the discharge process again, and there is no need to set a precision valve on the discharge pipe to prevent the coating material from flowing out. This solves the problem of high maintenance costs of components in the prior art and the need to perform a discharge process before each coating, resulting in very cumbersome steps.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber coating, and in particular to a coating supply device and method for an optical fiber coating device. Background Art

[0002] The optical fiber coater is one of the common devices on the optical fiber drawing tower, which is used to apply the required coating to the outer surface of the freshly drawn bare fiber. The existing optical fiber coating method is: by loading a certain pressure into the material tank, the coating is made to flow into the coater through the discharge pipe. The coater contains an outer annular cavity and an inner cavity of the coater. The upper end of the outer annular cavity of the coater is connected to the upper end of the inner cavity of the coater. The coating first flows down along the inner wall of the outer annular cavity of the coater to fill the bottom. As the coating continues to flow into the outer annular cavity of the coater, the coating liquid level in the outer annular cavity continues to rise. When the liquid level is higher than the top of the inner cavity of the coater, the coating will flow into the inner cavity of the coater along the inner wall of the inner cavity of the coater. The coating flowing into the inner cavity of the coater is adhered to the surface of the bare fiber passing through the inner cavity of the coater, completing the coating process.

[0003] After coating, it is usually necessary to separate the coater from the discharge pipe in order to clean the coater. After separation, the coating in the discharge pipe will flow back into the material tank. At the same time, air will also enter the discharge pipe. When coating again, if the discharge pipe is directly connected to the coater, as pressure is applied to the inside of the material tank, the coating in the material tank and the air in the discharge pipe will enter the coater. The coating and air interact with each other during movement, which can easily cause bubbles to be mixed into the coating. The coating mixed with bubbles is applied to the optical fiber, which will affect the coating quality. Therefore, before coating, a discharge process is required, that is, the air in the discharge pipe is discharged. The existing discharge method is: a precision valve is set on the discharge pipe, and the precision valve is used to control whether the discharge pipe is conductive. When discharge is required, the precision valve is opened, and a certain pressure is loaded into the material tank to allow the paint in the material tank to enter the discharge pipe and squeeze out the air in the discharge pipe. After the discharge is completed, the precision valve is closed to prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from being discharged, and at the same time prevent outside air from entering the discharge pipe. Finally, the discharge pipe is connected to the optical fiber coating device through a joint and then the precision valve is opened to complete the connection between the discharge pipe and the optical fiber coating device.

[0004] The drawback of the above method is that a discharge process is required before each coating, which is very cumbersome. In addition, since the paint in the discharge pipe and the precision valve may be slightly solidified, particles are generated, which will also affect the coating quality. Therefore, the discharge pipe and the precision valve need to be cleaned regularly. The precision valve has a complex structure, which makes cleaning difficult. Direct replacement will increase the cost, greatly increasing the maintenance cost of the components. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a coating material feeding device and method for an optical fiber coating device, which are used to solve the problems in the prior art of high maintenance cost of components and the need for a discharge process before each coating, resulting in very complicated steps.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device, comprising: a material tank and a discharge pipe;

[0007] The material tank is used to contain the coating, and the material tank is connected to the feed port of the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe, and one end of the discharge pipe connected to the material tank extends below the liquid level of the coating, and the liquid level of the coating and the height of the discharge pipe are both lower than the height of the feed port.

[0008] According to the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device further includes: an air supply member and an air inlet pipe, the air supply member is connected to the material tank through the air inlet pipe, and the air supply member is used to introduce gas into the interior of the material tank to apply pressure to the interior of the material tank.

[0009] According to the coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, one end of the air inlet pipe extending into the material tank is located above the liquid level of the coating material.

[0010] According to the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the number of the feed ports is multiple and the heights of the feed ports are consistent with each other, and the discharge pipe includes a main section, a connecting section and multiple branch sections. One end of the main section extends below the liquid level of the coating in the material tank, and the other end of the main section is connected to the first ends of the multiple branch sections through the connecting section, and the second ends of the multiple branch sections are respectively connected to the multiple feed ports one by one.

[0011] According to the coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the second ends of the plurality of branch segments are evenly spaced and distributed around the optical fiber coating device.

[0012] According to the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device further includes: a pressure detection component, which is connected to the material tank and is used to detect the pressure value inside the material tank.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a coating material supply method for an optical fiber coating device, based on the coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device as described in any one of the above items, comprising:

[0014] Applying pressure to the interior of the tank so that the paint in the tank enters the discharge pipe until the air in the discharge pipe is exhausted, maintaining the pressure inside the tank unchanged;

[0015] Connecting the discharge pipe to the feed port of the optical fiber coating device, and further applying pressure to the interior of the material tank, so that the coating enters the optical fiber coating device and adheres to the surface of the optical fiber passing through the optical fiber coating device, thereby completing the coating process;

[0016] The pressure inside the material tank is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

[0017] According to the coating material supply method for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, gas is introduced into the material tank to apply pressure to the interior of the material tank.

[0018] According to the coating supply method for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the pressure inside the material tank is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back, comprising:

[0019] Stop introducing gas into the material tank. As the paint in the material tank gradually enters the discharge pipe, the pressure inside the material tank gradually decreases until the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

[0020] According to the coating supply method for an optical fiber coating device provided by the present invention, the pressure inside the material tank is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back, comprising:

[0021] Stop introducing gas into the material tank and discharge part of the gas inside the material tank so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

[0022] The coating supply device and method for an optical fiber coating device of the present invention connects a material tank with an optical fiber coating device through a discharge pipe, and by applying pressure to the inside of the material tank, the coating in the material tank can enter the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe to perform a coating process, and after the coating is completed, the pressure in the material tank is adjusted so that the pressure in the material tank can just prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back into the material tank, thereby preventing air from entering the discharge pipe. When the coating process is performed again, the discharge pipe can be directly connected to the optical fiber coating device, and there is no need to perform a discharge process again to discharge the gas in the discharge pipe. At the same time, by controlling the pressure in the material tank, the coating in the discharge pipe can just be prevented from flowing back, so that the coating in the discharge pipe is in a static state. Therefore, there is no need to set a precision valve on the discharge pipe to prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing out, which simplifies the structure, eliminates the loss of manpower and material resources caused by cleaning or replacing the precision valve, saves costs, and effectively solves the problems of high maintenance costs of components in the prior art and the need to perform a discharge process before each coating, resulting in very cumbersome steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, a brief introduction is given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device and an optical fiber coating device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a coating supply method for an optical fiber coating device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 1. Material tank;

[0028] 2. Discharge pipe; 21. Main section; 22. Connecting section; 23. Branch section;

[0029] 3. Intake pipe;

[0030] 4. Shell; 41. First cavity; 42. Second cavity; 43. Feed port; 44. Fiber hole; 45. Discharge port;

[0031] 5. Separation assembly; 51. Pipe; 52. Ring plate;

[0032] 6. Micropores;

[0033] 200. Bare fiber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] The following combination Figures 1 to 2 The coating material supply device and method for an optical fiber coating device of the present invention are described.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a coating material feeding device for an optical fiber coating device, comprising: a material tank 1 and a discharge pipe 2; the material tank 1 is used to contain the coating material, and the material tank 1 is connected to the feed port 43 of the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2, and the end of the discharge pipe 2 connected to the material tank 1 extends below the liquid level of the coating material, and the liquid level of the coating material and the height of the discharge pipe 2 are both lower than the height of the feed port 43.

[0037] Specifically, one end of the discharge pipe 2 extends below the liquid level of the coating in the material tank 1. Since the material tank 1 is connected to the feed port 43 of the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2, when a certain pressure is applied to the inside of the material tank 1, the coating in the material tank 1 can flow into the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2, thereby carrying out the coating process. After the coating is completed, assuming that the pressure inside the material tank 1 is stopped, since the liquid level of the coating and the height of the discharge pipe 2 are both lower than the height of the feed port 43, the coating in the discharge pipe 2 will show a tendency to flow back under the action of gravity. Once the coating flows back, air will enter the discharge pipe 2, which will eventually affect the coating quality. However, if the pressure inside the material tank 1 is not stopped after the coating is completed, but the pressure inside the material tank 1 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank 1 is just enough to prevent the coating in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back to the material tank 1, the discharge pipe 2 is still full of coating, and the coating in the discharge pipe 2 is in a static state, thereby preventing external air from entering the discharge pipe 2.

[0038] The coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device of the present invention connects the material tank 1 with the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2. By applying pressure to the inside of the material tank 1, the coating in the material tank 1 can enter the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2 to perform the coating process. After the coating is completed, the pressure in the material tank 1 is adjusted so that the pressure in the material tank 1 can just prevent the coating in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back into the material tank 1, thereby preventing air from entering the discharge pipe 2. When the coating process is performed again, the discharge pipe 2 can be directly connected to the optical fiber coating device without the need to perform the discharge process again to discharge the gas in the discharge pipe 2. At the same time, by controlling the pressure in the material tank 1, the coating in the discharge pipe 2 can just be prevented from flowing back, so that the coating in the discharge pipe 2 is in a static state. Therefore, there is no need to set a precision valve on the discharge pipe 2 to prevent the coating in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing out. The structure is simplified, the loss of manpower and material resources caused by cleaning or replacing the precision valve is eliminated, and costs are saved. This effectively solves the problems of high maintenance costs of components in the prior art and the need to perform a discharge process before each coating, resulting in very cumbersome steps.

[0039] In some embodiments, the coating supply device for the optical fiber coating device also includes: an air supply component and an air inlet pipe 3, the air supply component is connected to the material tank 1 through the air inlet pipe 3, and the air supply component is used to introduce gas into the interior of the material tank 1 to apply pressure to the interior of the material tank 1.

[0040] Specifically, the gas supply member can be an air pump, which introduces gas into the interior of the tank 1 to increase the pressure inside the tank 1, thereby forcing the paint in the tank 1 into the discharge pipe 2; conversely, discharging some of the gas inside the tank 1 will cause the pressure inside the tank 1 to decrease. Adjusting the pressure inside the tank 1 by introducing or discharging gas has a simple structure and is easy to operate.

[0041] In some embodiments, one end of the air inlet pipe 3 extending into the material tank 1 is located above the liquid level of the coating.

[0042] Specifically, compared with the air inlet pipe 3 directly extending below the liquid surface of the paint, the end of the air inlet pipe 3 extending into the material tank 1 is located above the liquid surface of the paint, which can prevent the gas introduced into the material tank 1 from interacting with the paint to cause bubbles in the paint, thereby affecting the coating quality.

[0043] In some embodiments, there are multiple feed ports 43 and their heights are consistent with each other. The discharge pipe 2 includes a main section 21, a connecting section 22 and multiple branch sections 23. One end of the main section 21 extends below the liquid level of the paint in the material tank 1, and the other end of the main section 21 is connected to the first ends of the multiple branch sections 23 through the connecting section 22. The second ends of the multiple branch sections 23 are respectively connected to the multiple feed ports 43 one by one.

[0044] Specifically, one end of the main section 21 is connected to the material tank 1. Under a certain pressure, the coating in the material tank 1 can enter the interior of the main section 21. The coating inside the main section 21 passes through the connecting section 22 and evenly enters the interior of each branch section 23, and finally enters the optical fiber coating device. The coating is fed simultaneously through multiple feed ports 43, so that the coating flow rate of a single feed port 43 is small, and the coating flow is smoother and more even. In addition, the heights of the multiple feed ports 43 are all consistent, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of one branch section 23 being filled with coating while another branch section 23 is not.

[0045] In some embodiments, the second ends of the plurality of branch segments 23 are evenly spaced around the optical fiber coating device.

[0046] Specifically, the optical fiber coating apparatus is provided with multiple feed ports 43 evenly spaced along the circumference, and the second ends of the multiple branch segments 23 are connected to the multiple feed ports 43 in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple branch segments 23 respectively deliver coating into the optical fiber coating apparatus in various directions, so that during the coating process, the coating around the bare fiber 200 is as uniform as possible, avoiding uneven coating.

[0047] In some embodiments, the coating supply device for the optical fiber coating device also includes: a pressure detection component, which is connected to the material tank 1, and the pressure detection component is used to detect the pressure value inside the material tank 1, so that workers can understand the pressure inside the material tank 1 at any time to avoid excessive or insufficient pressure.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the present invention also provides a coating material supply method for an optical fiber coating device, based on the coating material supply device for an optical fiber coating device as in any of the above embodiments, comprising:

[0049] S100: Apply pressure to the inside of the tank, and the paint in the tank flows into the discharge pipe until the air in the discharge pipe is discharged, and the pressure inside the tank is maintained constant;

[0050] S200: Connecting the discharge pipe to the feed port of the optical fiber coating device, further applying pressure to the interior of the material tank, so that the coating enters the optical fiber coating device and adheres to the surface of the optical fiber passing through the optical fiber coating device, completing the coating process;

[0051] S300: Regulate the pressure inside the material tank so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

[0052] Specifically, before the discharge pipe 2 is connected to the optical fiber coating device, there must be air in the discharge pipe 2. Therefore, it is necessary to first discharge the air in the discharge pipe 2. The specific method is: the discharge pipe 2 is tilted, and the lower end of the discharge pipe 2 is extended below the liquid level of the coating in the material tank 1, and then pressure is applied to the interior of the material tank 1. Specifically, gas can be introduced into the interior of the material tank 1 to increase the pressure inside the material tank 1, forcing the coating to enter the discharge pipe 2 until the air in the discharge pipe 2 is completely discharged. The pressure inside the material tank 1 is maintained unchanged, and the coating in the discharge pipe 2 stops flowing; then the higher end (or multiple ends) of the discharge pipe 2 is connected to the feed port 43 of the optical fiber coating device, and further pressure is applied to the interior of the material tank 1 to force the coating to enter the optical fiber coating device and adhere to the surface of the optical fiber passing through the optical fiber coating device, thereby completing the coating process. After the coating process is completed, by adjusting the pressure inside the material tank 1, the coating in the discharge pipe 2 neither continues to flow into the optical fiber coating device nor flows back into the material tank 1, but remains in the discharge pipe 2, filling the space inside the discharge pipe 2, and preventing air from entering the discharge pipe 2. In this way, before the coating process is carried out again, there is no need to perform step S100 again to discharge the air in the discharge pipe 2, which not only improves the feeding efficiency but also does not affect the coating effect.

[0053] In some embodiments, the pressure inside the material tank 1 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank 1 can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back, including: stopping the introduction of gas into the interior of the material tank 1, and as the paint in the material tank 1 gradually enters the discharge pipe 2, the pressure inside the material tank 1 gradually decreases until the pressure inside the material tank 1 can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back.

[0054] Specifically, at the moment when the introduction of gas into the material tank 1 is stopped, the pressure inside the material tank 1 is still relatively high, and the coating in the material tank 1 will still enter the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe 2. However, as the coating flows into the optical fiber coating device, the pressure inside the material tank 1 will gradually decrease, and eventually reach a certain pressure value (defined as the equilibrium pressure). Under the equilibrium pressure, the coating no longer enters the optical fiber coating device, and the equilibrium pressure can just overcome the influence of the coating in the discharge pipe 2 due to its own gravity, preventing the coating in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back. The advantage of the above method is that there is no need to manually release part of the pressure inside the material tank 1. Just stop introducing gas into the material pipe, and the pressure inside the material tank 1 will gradually reach the equilibrium pressure, which is simple to operate.

[0055] In other embodiments, the pressure inside the material tank 1 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the material tank 1 can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back, including: stopping the introduction of gas into the interior of the material tank 1 and discharging part of the gas inside the material tank 1 so that the pressure inside the material tank 1 can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back.

[0056] Specifically, by discharging part of the gas inside the material tank 1, the pressure inside the material tank 1 reaches the equilibrium pressure, which not only quickly changes the pressure but also avoids the waste of paint.

[0057] Specifically, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a new method for regulating the pressure inside the material tank 1, which combines the above two methods of regulating the pressure inside the material tank 1. The specific method is: stop introducing gas into the interior of the material tank 1, and discharge part of the gas inside the material tank 1 until the pressure inside the material tank 1 is close to the equilibrium pressure. As the coating in the material tank 1 enters the optical fiber coating device, the pressure inside the material tank 1 is reduced to the equilibrium pressure.

[0058] Specifically, the above two methods of regulating the pressure inside the material tank 1 have their own advantages, but also have their own imperfections. The imperfection of the first method is that before the pressure inside the material tank 1 reaches the equilibrium pressure, there is still paint entering the optical fiber coating device, and the paint needs to be collected to avoid waste; the imperfection of the second method is that the workers can only determine the approximate value of the equilibrium pressure after testing. Manually releasing the pressure may cause some error between the final pressure inside the material tank 1 and the equilibrium pressure. Although the error is not large, it will also have a small impact on the final coating effect. Therefore, this embodiment combines the two methods. First, manually and quickly release the pressure inside the material tank 1 so that the pressure inside the material tank 1 is slightly greater than the equilibrium pressure. At this time, the paint in the material tank 1 will continue to enter the optical fiber coating device, thereby reducing the pressure inside the material tank 1 and eventually reaching the equilibrium pressure, preventing the paint in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back.

[0059] An embodiment of the present invention also provides an optical fiber coating device, comprising: a shell 4 and a partition assembly 5; the partition assembly 5 is arranged inside the shell 4 and divides the shell 4 into a first cavity 41 and a second cavity 42; a feed port 43 is provided on the first cavity 41, and the feed port 43 is used for allowing the coating to enter; a plurality of micropores 6 are provided on the partition assembly 5, and the first cavity 41 is connected to the second cavity 42 through the plurality of micropores 6, and the micropores 6 are used for allowing the coating to pass through; fiber holes 44 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the second cavity 42, and the fiber holes 44 are used for allowing the optical fiber to pass through the second cavity 42; a discharge port 45 is provided at the bottom of the second cavity 42.

[0060] Specifically, the partition component 5 is connected to the inner wall of the shell 4, thereby dividing the shell 4 into a first cavity 41 and a second cavity 42. The coating required for coating enters the first cavity 41 from the feed port 43 under pressure. Since the first cavity 41 and the second cavity 42 are connected through multiple micropores 6, the coating in the first cavity 41 can be sprayed into the second cavity 42 through multiple micropores 6. Fiber holes 44 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the second cavity 42. Since the existing optical fiber drawing direction is from top to bottom, the bare fiber 200 to be coated enters the second cavity 42 from the fiber hole 44 located above and exits from the fiber hole 44 located below. When the bare fiber 200 passes through the second cavity 42, the coating in the first cavity 41 can be sprayed onto the surface of the bare fiber 200 through multiple micropores 6 to form a coating layer, completing the coating process.

[0061] The fiber passing hole 44 located below is used to limit the diameter of the optical fiber formed after the bare fiber 200 is coated. For example, if the preset diameter of the optical fiber is 5 mm, the diameter of the fiber passing hole 44 located below is also 5 mm. When the coated bare fiber 200 passes through the fiber passing hole 44 located below, the fiber passing hole 44 located below can scrape off excess coating on the surface of the bare fiber 200, thereby limiting the diameter of the optical fiber formed after coating. In addition, while scraping off excess coating, the coating coverage can also be made more uniform, thereby improving the coating effect.

[0062] During the coating process, the coating injected into the second cavity 42 does not all adhere to the bare fiber 200. The excess coating can slide down under the action of gravity and flow out from the discharge port 45 at the bottom of the second cavity 42, avoiding the "glue oozing" phenomenon caused by coating accumulation.

[0063] It should be noted that both the feed port 43 and the discharge port 45 are located on the wall of the housing 4 to facilitate the entry and exit of the coating. The coating first enters the first cavity 41 and then enters the second cavity 42 to contact the bare fiber 200. This prevents the coating from directly entering the second cavity 42 and causing a significant impact on the bare fiber 200.

[0064] The optical fiber coating device of the present invention divides the shell 4 into a first cavity 41 and a second cavity 42 by a partition component 5. The coating required for coating enters the first cavity 41 under pressure and gradually fills the first cavity 41. Further pressure is applied to the coating, so that the coating in the first cavity 41 is sprayed into the second cavity 42 through the micropores 6 on the partition component 5 and adheres to the bare fiber 200 passing through the second cavity 42 to complete the coating process. The coating is performed by spraying the coating, so that most of the coating entering the second cavity 42 can be directly sprayed onto the surface of the bare fiber 200 to form a coating layer, avoiding the accumulation of too much excess coating in the second cavity 42. A small amount of coating that is not sprayed onto the surface of the bare fiber 200 slides down under the action of gravity and flows out from the discharge port 45 at the bottom of the second cavity 42, effectively solving the problem of glue bubbling during coating in the prior art, resulting in coating waste and reduced optical fiber quality.

[0065] It should be noted that the optical fiber coating device provided in this embodiment of the present invention is equipped with air seal assemblies at both fiber insertion holes 44. These air seal assemblies are conventional and specifically comprise multiple carbon dioxide injection elements disposed on the exterior of the housing 4. These injection elements eject a horizontal stream of carbon dioxide gas through the top or bottom of the fiber insertion holes 44, thereby preventing outside air from entering the housing 4 through the fiber insertion holes 44. This prevents bubbles from entering the coating and affecting the coating effect. The interior of the housing 4 is relatively small, containing only a small amount of carbon dioxide gas. Compared to air, carbon dioxide is less likely to mix with the coating and form bubbles.

[0066] In some embodiments, the discharge port 45 is connected to a collection device through a collection pipe to recycle the paint. At the same time, the discharge port 45 is connected to the collection device to prevent the discharge port 45 from being directly connected to the outside world, causing air to enter the shell 4 and affect the coating effect.

[0067] In some embodiments, the shell 4 is cylindrical, and the partition assembly 5 includes a pipe 51 and an annular plate 52. The pipe 51 is coaxially arranged with the shell 4, the top of the pipe 51 abuts against the inner top wall of the shell 4, the inner edge of the annular plate 52 is connected to the bottom of the pipe 51, and the outer edge of the annular plate 52 is tightly connected to the inner side wall of the shell 4. The interior of the shell 4 is divided into a first cavity 41 and a second cavity 42 by the pipe 51 and the annular plate 52, and the first cavity 41 is an annular cavity and is arranged around the outside of the second cavity 42.

[0068] In some embodiments, the shell 4 includes an upper cover, a lower cover and a barrel body. The upper and lower ends of the barrel body are open. The upper cover and the lower cover are respectively detachably provided at the upper and lower ends of the barrel body. After coating is completed, the upper cover and the lower cover can be separated from the barrel body to facilitate cleaning of the shell 4.

[0069] In some embodiments, the pipe 51 is a circular pipe, and the plurality of micropores 6 constitute a plurality of micropore groups. The plurality of micropore groups are evenly spaced along the circumference of the pipe 51 , and the micropore groups include a plurality of micropores 6 spaced along the vertical direction.

[0070] Specifically, multiple micropore groups are evenly spaced along the circumference, so that paint can be sprayed in different directions during coating, ensuring that all parts on the circumferential outer wall of the bare fiber 200 can be sprayed with paint, ensuring uniform spraying. The micropore group includes multiple micropores 6 spaced along the vertical direction, so that multiple paint sprays can be performed on any part of the surface of the bare fiber 200 to ensure that the coating layer reaches a sufficient thickness.

[0071] In some embodiments, the central angle between any two adjacent micropore groups is 10°, and the distance between any two adjacent micropores 6 in any micropore group is 3 mm.

[0072] In some embodiments, the diameter of the micropores 6 is 0.1-0.3 mm.

[0073] In some embodiments, two fiber holes 44 are respectively disposed in the middle of the upper and lower ends of the second chamber.

[0074] Specifically, since the pipe 51 is a circular pipe, multiple micropore groups are distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction. By arranging two fiber-passing holes 44 in the middle of the upper and lower ends of the second chamber, respectively, it can ensure that the bare fiber 200 passing through the second cavity 42 is exactly on the central axis of the second chamber, so that the distance between any micropore 6 and the bare fiber 200 is equal, ensuring that the coating sprayed from the micropore 6 can accurately fall on the bare fiber 200, reducing the waste of coating.

[0075] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the second cavity 42 has an inclined surface, wherein a higher end of the inclined surface is close to the fiber hole 44 , and a lower end of the inclined surface is close to the discharge port 45 .

[0076] Specifically, the fiber penetration hole 44 located below is in the middle of the bottom wall of the second cavity 42, and the middle of the bottom wall of the second cavity 42 bulges upward, so that excess coating falling on the bottom wall of the second cavity 42 can flow along the bottom wall to the discharge port 45 and be discharged smoothly.

[0077] In some embodiments, there are multiple feed ports 43 , and the multiple feed ports 43 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction on the circumferential side wall of the shell 4 .

[0078] Specifically, by feeding simultaneously through a plurality of feed ports 43 spaced apart along the circumference, the coating in the first cavity 41 can be made more uniform, avoiding local pressure unevenness, which results in different injection pressures at different micropores 6 and affects the coating effect.

[0079] The present invention also provides a method for using the optical fiber coating device based on any of the above embodiments, comprising:

[0080] Controlling the coating to enter the first chamber from the feed port 43 and gradually fill the first chamber;

[0081] The bare fiber 200 is controlled to enter the second chamber downward from the fiber insertion hole 44 located above, and then the coating in the first chamber is pressurized, forcing the coating in the first chamber to be sprayed through the micropores 6 to the surface of the bare fiber 200 in the second chamber. The bare fiber 200 with the coating on the surface passes through the fiber insertion hole 44 located below and exits the second chamber, completing the coating process.

[0082] Specifically, by applying pressure to the coating, the coating enters the first chamber from the feed port 43 and fills the space therein. The bare fiber 200 then passes downward from the upper fiber hole 44 into the second chamber. Further pressure is applied to the coating in the first chamber, causing the coating in the first chamber to be sprayed from the multiple micropores 6 into the second chamber 42 and fall onto the surface of the moving bare fiber 200. The bare fiber 200, with its surface covered with coating, passes out of the second chamber from the lower fiber hole 44 and scrapes off excess coating as it passes through the lower fiber hole 44, completing the coating process. Coating by spraying the coating can reduce the total amount of coating entering the second chamber 42, improve coating utilization, and avoid excess coating accumulation that causes glue bleeding.

[0083] In some embodiments, the method for using the optical fiber coating device further includes: collecting the coating flowing out of the outlet 45 .

[0084] Specifically, the gravity of the paint itself is used to make the excess paint in the second cavity 42 flow out from the discharge port 45 and be collected. The bottom of the second cavity can also be heated to prevent the paint from solidifying, so that the paint can flow out smoothly.

[0085] In some embodiments, the coating supply device for an optical fiber coating device provided in any of the above embodiments is used to supply coating to the optical fiber coating device provided in any of the above embodiments. Specifically, a coating tank 1 is connected to the coating inlet 43 of the optical fiber coating device via a discharge pipe 2, and the end of the discharge pipe 2 connected to the coating tank 1 extends below the coating liquid level. The coating liquid level and the height of the discharge pipe 2 are both lower than the height of the feed inlet 43. By applying pressure to the interior of the coating tank 1, the coating enters the first cavity 41 and fills the interior space of the first cavity 41. Further pressure is applied to the interior of the coating tank 1, causing the coating in the first cavity 41 to be sprayed through the micropores 6 onto the surface of the bare fiber 200 passing through the second cavity 42. The bare fiber 200, with the coating adhered to its surface, passes out of the second cavity 42, completing the coating process. After coating is completed, the pressure in the coating tank 1 is adjusted so that the pressure in the coating tank 1 just prevents the coating in the discharge pipe 2 from flowing back, preparing for the next coating cycle. At the same time, excess coating in the second cavity 42 can flow out through the discharge port 45, preventing coating accumulation and resulting in glue bleeding.

[0086] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding method based on a coating feeding device for an optical fiber coating device, characterized in that: The coating material supply device for the optical fiber coating device comprises: a material tank and a discharge pipe; The material tank is used to contain the coating, and the material tank is connected to the feed port of the optical fiber coating device through the discharge pipe, and one end of the discharge pipe connected to the material tank extends below the liquid level of the coating, and the height of the liquid level of the coating and the height of the discharge pipe are both lower than the height of the feed port; an air supply member and an air inlet pipe, wherein the air supply member is connected to the material tank through the air inlet pipe, and the air supply member is used to introduce gas into the interior of the material tank to apply pressure to the interior of the material tank; The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for the optical fiber coating device comprises: By introducing gas into the material tank to apply pressure to the interior of the material tank, the paint in the material tank enters the discharge pipe until the air in the discharge pipe is discharged, and the pressure inside the material tank is maintained unchanged; Connecting the discharge pipe to the feed port of the optical fiber coating device, and further applying pressure to the interior of the material tank, so that the coating enters the optical fiber coating device and adheres to the surface of the optical fiber passing through the optical fiber coating device, thereby completing the coating process; Adjusting the pressure inside the material tank so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back; The step of adjusting the pressure inside the tank so that the pressure inside the tank is just enough to prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back comprises: Stop introducing gas into the material tank. As the paint in the material tank gradually enters the discharge pipe, the pressure inside the material tank gradually decreases until the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

2. The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for optical fiber coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the air inlet pipe extending into the material tank is located above the liquid level of the coating.

3. The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for optical fiber coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple feed ports and their heights are consistent with each other. The discharge pipe includes a main section, a connecting section and multiple branch sections. One end of the main section extends below the liquid level of the paint in the material tank, and the other end of the main section is connected to the first ends of the multiple branch sections through the connecting section. The second ends of the multiple branch sections are respectively connected to the multiple feed ports one by one.

4. The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for optical fiber coating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second ends of the plurality of branch segments are evenly spaced and distributed around the optical fiber coating device.

5. The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for optical fiber coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating material supply device for the optical fiber coating device further includes: a pressure detection component, which is connected to the material tank and is used to detect the pressure value inside the material tank.

6. The feeding method based on the coating material feeding device for optical fiber coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the pressure inside the tank so that the pressure inside the tank is just enough to prevent the coating in the discharge pipe from flowing back comprises: Stop introducing gas into the material tank and discharge part of the gas inside the material tank so that the pressure inside the material tank can just prevent the paint in the discharge pipe from flowing back.

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